Concrete-block-forming machine



July 20 1926.

J. E. ERICKSON ET AL CONCRETE BLOCK FORMING MACHINE Filed Set. 2"7. 1924 2.Sheets-Sheet 1 7 xrwdr/v rams 7 JoszP/l A'R/c/nso/Y 050 12? 315 uszrso/v I MITd/PNS)? July 20 ,"1926.

ERICKSON El AL' CONCRETE BLOCK FORMING MACHINE E w a 3 m u mxmv c 7%; w -5 m 55 s k 2 Nfl fl I Jmc a u .1. w m S n w Patented July 20, 1926.

TENT OFFEGE.

JOSEPH E. ERICKSON AND OSCAR SEVERSON,

0F GUSHING, WISCONSIN.

CONCRETE-BLOCK-FORMING MACHINE.

Application filed. September This invention relates to a machine for forming or molding concrete blocks, such as now commonly used in silo or other building construction.

It is an object of this invention to provide such a machine of simple and efiicient construction comprising a mold box from which the molded block can very readily be discharged, and which box, preferably comprises means for holding re-inforcing rods adapted to be imbedded in the block.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a machine having a frame which supports a platen which is surrounded by the sides and ends of a mold box, said sides and ends being adapted to swing outwardly to afford easy removal of theblock.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a simple and efiicient means for swinging said sides and ends of the mold box outwardly and inwardly to open and closed positions, respectively, said sides and ends preferably being swung simultaneously.

It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide a machine, as above set forth, having a mold box with swinging sides and ends, to which links are respectively connected, which links are connected at their other ends to a single reciprocating member adapted to be moved by a single means at one side of amachine to open and close said mold box.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a top planview of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a View in vertical section taken on line 53 2 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section through the entire machine taken 011 line 33 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows, showing the mold box in open position;

Fig. l is a view invertical section taken on line 14 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in plan showing the means for holding a re-inforcinc; rod in position.

referring to the drawings, the machine 27, 1924:. Serial No. 740,222.

is shown as comprising end plates or legs 1 connected adjacent their bottoms by brace plates 2. The members 1 have inwardly extended flanges at their upper ends, which support and are bolted to a platen supporting member 8. The member 3 is of rectangular form and has a raised surface extending along each side thereof, at its top. .The member 3 also has projecting outwardly from each side thereof spaced lugs 3*. Op positely disposed side plates 4 are provided, adapted to form the sides of a mold box, and the side members have lugs projecting downward from their lower edges, adapted to embrace the lugs 3 at the sides of the member 3, and be pivotally connected there to by pivot pins 5 held in place by suitable cotter pins or other means. The side members 4 also have projecting outwardly and downwardly therefrom, substantially midway of their ends, arms l A pair of end members 6 are likewise provided, adapted to form the ends of the said mold box, which, as shown in Fig. 1, have their ends overlapping the ends of the side members 4. The end members 6 also have lugs projecting downwardly therefrom in spaced re lation, which embrace the lugs 3 at'the ends, respectively, of member 3 and to which they are pivoted by pivot pins 5, likewise held in place by suitable means, such as cotter pins. The end members 6 also have downwardly extending arms 6*, substantially midway of their ends, which arms are of the same length as the arms 4 of the side members l. The member 3 also has bolted to its ends upstanding members 7, which members are disposed in spaced relation, as shown in Fig. Said members 7, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, have inner rounded surfaces, but have plain outer surfaces, against which the inner surfaces of the end members contact, when the latter are in closed position. The members 7 also have flat top surfaces and the end members 6 have projections 6 extending inwardly therefrom with flat lower surfaces, adapted to overlie and contact the top surfaces of members 7 when members 6 are in closed position. The members 6 have rounded top surfaces lying flush with the surfaces of the members 7. Said members 7 also have slots 7 extending thereacross, as shown in Fig. 5, and the end members 6 are 6 and 6 respectively, immediately below their members 6". It will also be seen, from Figs. 1, 2 and 3, that one of the end members 6 has a longitudinal recess therein, shown as of trapezoidal shape in cross section, while the other end member 6 has a rib extending longitudinally of its inner side,

provided with slots which is likewise of trapezoidal shape in cross section. As shown in. Figs. 1 and 4, the side members i have central portions l projecting inwardly, and one of the side portions 4 has a rib projecting inwardly longitudinally thereof, while the other side portion has a recess extending longitudinally thereof, said recess and rib also being shown as of trapezoidal shape in cross section. A platen 8, having transverse supporting blocks or timbers therebeneath, is supported on the top of member 3, which platen is formed to project between and at the outside of members 7 and has its top surface of convex form, substantially on the radius of a cylinder. Said top surface of platen 8 is substantially flush or continuous with the bottom edges of end member 6, and, as shown in Fig. 4, the side members 4, when in closed position, overlie the top of said platen.

The arms 45* and 6 each have connected thereto a longitudinally adjustable link 9. The other ends of all of the links 9 are connected to a sleeve or slidable member 10, which, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, has forks or spaced lugs projecting from four sides thereof, which embrace the ends of said links and are pivotally connected thereto by pivot pins 11 held in place by suitable cotter pins. The member 10 is slidable 011 a standard 12, which, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, is shown as of rectangular cross section, and which has its upper end secured in a hub depending from the lower side of member 3.

A shaft 13 is journaled in bearings in the frame members 1 and held from longitudinal movement therein by spaced collars 14C secured thereto by suitable set screws. Substantially centrally between the members 1, said shaft carries a bearing 15, having an upwardly extending socket thereon, in which is received the lower end of standard 12. A pair of cams 16 have hubs keyed to the shaft 13 adjacent the collars 14, and said cams have grooves therein facing each other in which move cam rollers 17 having axles secured in the member 10. The shaft 13 has an operating hand lever 18 secured thereto at its outer end. It will be seen that the frame members 1 are provided with elongated slots 1, at their upper ends, through which the links 9 extend and move.

In operation, the hand lever 18 will be swung to move the cams 16 to a position shown in Fig. 3. Said cams depress the rollers 17 and move the member 10 downwardly on standard 12. This movement through the links 9 and arms 4 and 6 swings the side members A and 6 simultaneously outward. The platen 8 is now placed on the member 3, and the handle 18 then again swung to bring the side members 1 and end members .6 to closed position. Before the members are so swung into closed position, however, a reinforcing rod B is placed in the members 7, as shown in Fig. 5. When the side members 4 and 6 are swung into closed position, the members 6 swing over the ends of rods B and the ends of said rods B are disposed, respectively, in the slots 6 and 6. It will be noted that, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the ends of rods B in the slot 6 are turned downwardly, while the ends in the slot 6 are turned laterally. When the rods B are thus in place and the mold box closed, the wet concrete material is charged into the mold box and tamped in the usual manner. After the block has hardened sufficiently to be removed, the operator again swings the hand lever 18, member 10 is moved downwardly and the side and end members 4: and 6, respectively, are swung outwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. The block or the block and platen together may then be removed from the machine. The machine is then ready to have another block formed therein in the manner described.

The block illustrated is particularly adapted for use in a cylindrical silo and it will be noted that it forms a section of a hollow cylinder. The reinforcing rods B are curved in accordance with the curvature of the block and any rotative movement of these rods, which might occur, if they were straight, is thus prevented. The ends of the rods B are bent and disposed in the recesses formed in the block so that the adjacent blocks in the silo may easily and effectively be connected. The trapezoidal shaped rib and groove at the top and bottom, respectively, of the block lit together nicely in adjacent blocks when the blocks are assembled. The projections P on the mold box are substantially half the width of the box and these projections form-recesses in the blocks. When the blocks are assembled the adjacent ends of two blocks fit in this recess so that the vertical joints on the blocks are staggered. The machine can obviously be used for making plain rectangular blocks, if so desired, lfay using a platen having a plain top sur- From the above description, it is seen that applicants have provided a very simple and eilicient concrete block-making machine. The parts of the device are few and are compactly and conveniently arranged so as to be operated very easily and quickly and with very little mechanism. Blocks can be very quickly produced. The machine has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and found to be very successful and efficient.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, such as shown and described and defined in the appended claims.

l/Vhat is claimed is:

1. A concrete block-forming machine, comprising a platen supporting member, means at opposite sides thereof for supporting a reinforcing bar and adapted to form recesses in the sides of said block, side and end members adapted to surround said member and form a mold box, and means for simultaneously swinging said side and end members inwardly and outwardly to close and open said box, respectively.

2. The structure set forth in'claim 1, one pair of opposite sides of said mold box having means thereon adapted to overlie said first mentioned means When said mold box is closed to cover the end of the reinforcing rod therein and complete the recess formed in said block.

3. A concrete block-forming machine com prising a frame, a plat-en supporting member carried thereby, lugs projecting outwardly from the sides of said member, oppositely disposed side members of a mold box pivoted to said lugs, arms projecting downwardly from said side members, links connected at one end to said arms, a standard disposed beneath said platen supporting member, a sleeve reciprocable thereon to which the other ends of said links are connected, and means for reciprocating said sleeve simultaneously to swing said sides to open and closed positions, said last mentioned means comprising a shaft journaled in said frame, a cam thereon, a roller secured to said sleeve engaged by said cam, and a handle lever secured to said shaft at one side of said frame.

at. A concrete block-forming machine having in combination a frame, a member adapted to support a platen, mold box side and end members adapted to surround said platen, said sides ha'ving, respectively, a rib and a. recess at their inner sides, both of trapezoidal cross section, said first mentioned member having spaced recess-forming members projecting upwardly at the ends thereof and said end members having spaced recess-forming members adapted to overlie said last mentioned members, when said end members are in closed position.

5. A concrete block-forming machine having in combination, a member adapted to support a platen, recess-forming members projecting upward therefrom having means for supporting a reinforcing rod, and movable mold box side members having means thereon adapted to overlie said recess-forming members.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5, said side members also having recesses therein adapted to receive the ends of said reinforcing rod and be closed by the recessforming members.

7. A concrete block forming machine having in combination, a member adapted to support a platen, movable mold box side members adapted to surround said platen, one of said side members having a recess therein extending outward of its interior surface adapted to receive the end of a reinforcing rod extending across said mold box.

8. The structure set forth in claim 7, said side members and platen having means thereon closing said recess when the mold box is in closed position.

9. A concrete block forming machine having in combination, means adapted to support a platen, members projecting upward- 1y from said means at each side thereof having grooves extending transversely thereof adapted to receive and support a reinforcing rod extending across said means above the same, mold box side members adapted to surround said platen and having recesses therein adapted to aline with said grooves and house the ends of said reinforcing rod.

10. A concrete block-forming machine comprising a frame, a platen support car ried thereby, mold sides and mold ends pivoted to the sides and ends, respectively, of said support, arms projecting downwardly from said mold sides and ends, adjustable links pivotally connected at one end to said arms, a central vertical shaft mounted in said frame, a central movable sleeve mounted on said shaft, all of said links projecting inwardly and having their free ends pivoted to said sleeve, and means for oscillating said sleeve on said shaft.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

JOSEPH E. ERIGKSON. OSCAR SEVERSON. 

